Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 m (61.7 ft). [8] The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the most massive living non-cetacean animal.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to sharks: Sharks (superorder Selachimorpha) are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 440 million years ago, before the time of the dinosaurs. [1]
Shark fin has become a major trade within black markets all over the world. Fins sell for about $300/lb in 2009. [136] Poachers illegally fin millions each year. Few governments enforce laws that protect them. [131] In 2010 Hawaii became the first U.S. state to prohibit the possession, sale, trade or distribution of shark fins. [137]
Sharks range in size from the small dwarf lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi), a deep sea species that is only 17 centimetres (6.7 in) in length, to the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the largest fish in the world, which reaches approximately 12 metres (40 ft) in length. They are found in all seas and are common to depths up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ...
Lighter Side. Medicare. News
Family Rhincodontidae (Whale sharks) Genus Rhincodon A. Smith, 1828. Rhincodon typus A. Smith, 1828 (whale shark) Family Stegostomatidae (zebra sharks) Genus Stegostoma J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837. Stegostoma fasciatum (Hermann, 1783) (zebra shark)
Shark Anatomy (50693674756) The gill slits of a whale shark flaring as it expels water from its pharyngeal cavity. In the shark anatomy image, it depicts the beginning half of the shark, including the gills. The shark gills are especially important and were evolved from the chordate pharyngeal gill slits synapomorphy.
The whale sharks in the area are considered highly valuable in the ecotourism industry, as the industry provides numerous jobs to local people and brings in US$12 million annually. Tourist interest in wildlife tourism continues to grow, and the whale shark tourism industry is expected to increase through the year 2020. [13]